INTERIOR IG QUESTIONS HANDLING OF COAL RULE'S JOB LOSS FIGURES: Top officials at the Interior Department’s mining agency directed contractors to change their economic assessment of a major coal-rule rewrite in ways that would lower job loss figures, the department’s inspector general says in a new report. Some department officials and contractors insisted that the change would yield a more accurate estimate of job losses from the stream buffer zone rule, while others said the change was aimed at lessening political criticism of President Barack Obama’s regulatory agenda, according to the IG report. The report doesn’t make any conclusions about which side is right. But the audit will almost certainly open a new front for battle in a rule that has fueled House Republicans’ complaints that Obama is waging a “war on coal.” Santa, minus the beard, has more: http://politico.pro/18HwTZF

Programming note: This is the last Morning Energy of 2013, but we’ll be back in your inboxes bright and early Jan. 2. Until then, Pros will get some great in-depth stories on nuclear power, dwindling coal usage, threats to the wind industry’s top tax credit and more.

WELLINGHOFF SAYS W.H. HASN’T ASKED FOR ADVICE: Jon Wellinghoff, who recently stepped down as chairman of FERC, told ME on Friday that the White House has not contacted him for advice on nominees. “The White House has not consulted me on anyone with respect to a replacement at FERC,” Wellinghoff said in a phone interview from his San Francisco office at the law firm Stoel Rives. “If the White House was interested in asking my advice, I’m sure they would reach out and do that, and that’s their prerogative to do,” he added. “I’m not going to speculate one way or the other.”

LANDRIEU'S CAMPAIGN MAY GET LITTLE BOOST FROM ENR GAVEL: Sen. Mary Landrieu’s likely early ascension to the energy committee chairmanship may not be a total slam dunk win for her beleaguered reelection. While taking the gavel of the Senate panel that oversees much of the industry that is crucial to her oil- and gas-rich state should be an achievement worthy of touting in next year’s campaign, it may not resonate with voters who are more focused on issues such as Obamacare. And in a state that’s become a solid Republican stronghold, even a conservative Democrat like Landrieu, who has stood solidly with the energy industry, may have a hard time winning reelection. Darren Goode has more: http://politico.pro/JfJdV0

KXL REPORT SOON, BUT DECISION COULD BE LEFT TO NEXT PRESIDENT, TRANSCANADA CEO SAYS: ME can think of a few people who would be unhappy if a decision on Keystone XL came in 2017. Via Bloomberg: TransCanada CEO Russ “Girling said he expects an environmental report from the U.S. State Department to be released in ‘weeks, not months.’ The department continues to ask TransCanada questions about the project, though inquiries have slowed, Girling said. While he sees a final decision by the end of March, he also said there is a chance it may be left to the next U.S. administration. ‘There is a possibility that this gets stretched out,’ he said. ‘That very well could happen.’” More: http://buswk.co/1956sYN

SPOTTED: Frostpaw the Polar Bear, the anti-Keystone XL mascot of the Center for Biological Diversity, at last night’s Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic at the University of Hawaii, attended by the First Family in Hawaii. The bear and a woman holding a “Beavers Hate Pipelines” sign “began dancing during a second half time-out, but it was unclear if the president noticed them,” according to a pool report. ICYMI last week, Frostpaw has vowed to follow Obama around the Aloha State over the holidays: http://politi.co/1e4nb1E

FACTOID OF THE DAY: There was "serious discussion” about California billionaire Tom Steyer joining the Obama administration in an unidentified capacity, John Podesta told the Los Angeles Times before his new gig as a senior adviser to president was announced earlier this month. The tidbit comes in an LAT profile on Steyer and his recent environmental advocacy and electoral work: http://lat.ms/18GSDVL

METHANE BAD, BUT CO2 MUCH BIGGER THREAT, MONIZ SAYS: While methane emissions from fracking and other activities should be studied and reduced, the biggest greenhouse gas threat comes from carbon dioxide instead, Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz says. “One is it’s the largest volume, if you like, that’s emitted. But secondly, carbon dioxide has a very, very long residence time in the atmosphere. We’re talking centuries,” Moniz said in a Platts Energy Week TV interview taped earlier this month and broadcast Sunday. “So if we emit CO2 now, we’re living with that, our children are living with it, our grandchildren are living with it. Methane, you’re talking more on the order of a decade. So if we can measure, clamp down, reduce those methane emissions, then a lot of that will in fact go away in one of two decades’ time scale.” Video: http://bit.ly/JT2MmE

CONSERVATIVES POUR $1 BILLION INTO ANTI-CLIMATE CHANGE EFFORTS — STUDY: Via the Guardian: “Conservative groups may have spent up to $1bn a year on the effort to deny science and oppose action on climate change, according to the first extensive study into the anatomy of the anti-climate effort. The anti-climate effort has been largely underwritten by conservative billionaires, often working through secretive funding networks. They have displaced corporations as the prime supporters of 91 think tanks, advocacy groups and industry associations which have worked to block action on climate change. Such financial support has hardened conservative opposition to climate policy, ultimately dooming any chances of action from Congress to cut greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet, the study found.” Guardian: http://bit.ly/1hrOtkT. The study, published in Climatic Change: http://bit.ly/1jxRFjh

TOP OFFICIALS LEAVE BP SPILL CLAIMS OFFICE: The AP reports: “Two top officials of a fund that pays compensation in connection with the 2010 BP oil spill have resigned, just months after the two were accused of engaging in improper conduct. Program head Patrick Juneau confirms that CEO David Odom and Chief Operating Officer Kirk Fisher have resigned. … Juneau refused to comment on BP's allegation that the resignations follow reports that the men entertained subordinates at a strip club that got $550,000 in oil spill claims. The allegation is online in an ad BP says will run Monday in three major newspapers. BP won't identify the club.” AP: http://bit.ly/1a2Gcyu

WAXMAN GIVES LUMP OF COAL FOR HOUSE GOP’S ENVIRO RECORD: The House has so far this congress pulled back on the "anti-environment" votes somewhat since its 2011-2012 term, the most "anti-environment House in the history of the institution," Rep. Henry Waxman said in a report released Friday. Waxman, the top Energy and Commerce Committee Democrat, says the House voted 109 times for anti-environment position; in 2011 and 2012, he says, the House voted 317 times on such legislation, though there’s still a year to go in this congressional session. Waxman’s report: http://1.usa.gov/1duXN4D. Database of the votes: http://1.usa.gov/JfMfIR

BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE: ‘Tis the season for congressional LIHEAP letters. A raft of Senate Democrats and two New England Republicans wrote to President Barack Obama on Friday asking him to boost funding to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program in his proposed FY2015 budget. The lawmakers are looking for "not less than $4.7 billion for this program that provides critical support to our most vulnerable citizens." Read: http://politico.pro/1expMWj

QUICK HITS

— The Obama administration's support for CCS has the side effect of boosting carbon used to extract oil. AP: http://bit.ly/1hxYOvI

— Six Midwestern governors sent a letter to President Barack Obama expressing support for the RFS. Des Moines Register: http://dmreg.co/1fwBtcs

— Gazprom has begun drilling from the rig raided in September by Greenpeace activists. AFP: http://yhoo.it/19GZvRt

— Fishermen's Energy told New Jersey regulators Friday that the company has done everything necessary to get approval for a proposed 25-megawatt offshore wind farm. NJBiz: http://bit.ly/JUdBFL

— Sen. Jim Inhofe said the outpouring of support from Democratic senators after his son's death may change how he works with other lawmakers. Huffington Post: http://huff.to/JiiTtm

— All of the U.S.'s new capacity in November came from renewables. Clean Technica: http://bit.ly/JWz2pJ

ME CHRISTMAS PRESENTS: You better watch out, you better not cry, ME’s handing out gifts and we hope these jokes fly.

— For Max Baucus, a high-quality air-filtering face mask for those Beijing days.

— From the State Department, please please please a final SEIS on the Keystone XL pipeline. It’s really all that pipeline supporters, pipeline opponents, exasperated energy reporters, and weary administration flacks want. (But not until January.)

— For Cheryl LaFleur, a mug reading "Who you calling ‘acting’?"

— For Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, his very own pet mountain goat — from Elko County, naturally. (Stocking stuffer: The latest album from the Mountain Goats, who, like mountain goats, are not actually goats).

THAT’S ALL FOR ME. See you next year.

** A message from Vet Voice Foundation: Tens of thousands of service members and veterans rely on public lands to hunt, fish, camp and heal from the wounds of war. These lands are part of the American heritage we fought for. As a new President and Congress look to rebuild America's infrastructure, we call on them to make an equal investment in maintaining our public lands and parks for our service members and all Americans. Support for our veterans must extend to investing in and protecting America’s natural heritage, for our children and grandchildren. www.VetVoiceFoundation.org **

Authors:

About The Author

Alex Guillén is an energy reporter for POLITICO Pro, where he covers EPA, regulations and coal, as well as lobbying and campaign finance in the energy realm. He previously wrote the Morning Energy newsletter. He graduated from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Va., with a degree in anthropology and English. He is an avid reader and TV binger. The Delawarean, thrilled that there are finally Capriotti’s outposts in Washington, lives in Alexandria, Va.